Mustang Sally
by dibdab4
Summary: My first foray into Shandyland! And where better to start than their first date? It's go big or go home for Andy Flynn, but how will Sharon respond to his rather grand gestures?
1. Chapter 1

_Hi! This is my first time writing a Shandy fic. I was late to the party, but have fallen head-over-heels for this couple. __This little story is for my sweet friend themonkeyspajamas who has been my long-distance partner-in-crime for a few years now. I love you, toots! _

_This will be either 4-5 chapters in total, 3 of which are completed. I appreciate any kindness you want to send my way, but mostly just hope you enjoy!_

_And...the disclaimer, of course, these are Duff's. I'm just letting them run loose for a bit._

* * *

A half-day was all that was required of the Major Crimes squad to tie up basic paperwork on the two linked cases which had resulted in the murder of four individuals, the arrest of two, in Andy Flynn's words, scumbags, as well as, two D.A.-sanctioned deals which would result in the aforementioned scumbags being isolated from hurting anyone in society ever again. All in all, it was an excellent result for Captain Sharon Raydor and her team, and yet, the leader herself sat in her office dealing with a bout of uncharacteristic nerves as she glanced up from her paperwork every few minutes to look at the back of the silver-haired man sitting only a few feet from one of her her office's inner windows.

_It's just not a good time, Andy. I'm not saying never, but I think we should take some more time to think about how this could impact everything, especially our friendship which means so very much to me..._ She sighed as she rehearsed the words in her head for the thousandth time since she had awoken before dawn that morning.

She returned her attention to the words on the report on the desk in front of her, but her focus was so skewed that she might as well have been looking into a bowl of alphabet soup. Lifting her head and sighing deeply, she then let it fall slightly to the right before turning her neck to look once again at the now swaying Andy who was tapping various objects on his desk with the end of his gold pen, his head gently bobbing.

The evening would be fun. She couldn't deny the fact that she always had a good time with him . The man could make her laugh in a way that Jack never could. Andy's charm was rooted in earnestness and a sense of silliness while her ex-husband had always been far more concerned about being at the center of attention rather than bringing joy to those around him.

Andy was sweet and had such a gentle, kind heart, not to mention she greatly admired the strives he had made in changing his life for the better and his commitment to healing and moving forward in only positive ways for the sake of his children. He was a wonderful man. So why was she so terrified of this? Why had she spent the previous six hours desperately trying to divine the least hurtful way to let him down?

Turning back to face the wall opposite her desk, her eyes went unfocused as she considered the life she currently led with Andy as her friend, and then tried to imagine what a life would be like with him as a true partner, both friend and lover.

Oblivious to the looks he was receiving and the torment currently being experienced by the woman sitting only feet behind him, Andy was all smiles, his heels tapping to a happy song only he could hear in his head as he sent his fingers flying over his keyboard in his haste to tie up his responsibilities in order to prepare for the rest of his day, especially the evening.

"Everything alright, Lieutenant?"

It took Andy a moment to realize that Julio was addressing him. "Sorry, Julio. Yeah. Almost done. Just a few more boxes and blanks..."

"For heaven's sake, Flynn, you're about to bounce out of your chair. Settle down, man!"

Provenza's growl did nothing to dampen Andy's mood, although his cheery demeanor faded a bit, for propriety's sake, as Amy asked, "You have big plans tonight, Lieutenant?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Just looking forward to being away from you knuckleheads and spending some time in the beautiful weather we are being treated to this weekend." He didn't relish having to lie given the fact that his plans were not only big, but incredibly ambitious, and there was no way he was going to share the fact that he had asked the Captain out on an actual date with anyone beside Provenza, so in an effort to change the subject, he turned the tables on Amy. "What about you and Coop? You guys doing anything?"

His smile returned to its earlier wattage as Amy's own face lit up as she admitted she and Officer Cooper were planning on a long hike later that day and then had plans to try a new brunch place on Sunday. The others began sharing their plans which involved the Tao family visiting relatives up the coast, while Buzz was having Sanchez and Rusty over for a "Police Academy" film marathon which piqued Provenza's interest and it was determined the trio would become a quartet, as long as Patrice consented.

Computers were soon turned off and paperwork shuffled and straightened among various folders which were placed in a stack on Andy's desk as Provenza designated him delivery boy while the rest of the squad quickly took their leave to start enjoying the time off.

"I still can't believe she said yes." Lingering at the side of Andy's desk, Provenza's voice was low, but it in no way diminished the level of disdain in his tone. "It's not too late to get out of it, you know?"

Andy scowled at his friend's suggestion. "I have no intention of trying to get out of it, thank you very much. As a matter of fact, I can't remember looking forward to anything more."

Shaking his head, Provenza was preparing to offer another plea for Andy to cancel when he glanced up to find a frowning Sharon on the other side of the office window, her gaze squarely on the back of Andy's head. His eyebrow lifting, Louie quickly surmised that it was quite possible that the Captain would be canceling the date herself, so he lifted his hands in surrender and simply said, "Well, good luck, I guess."

"You're support is overwhelming." Andy shot his friend a dirtly look as the older man grabbed his hat and keys from his desk, waving before disappearing down the hall as he began planning how to convince his girlfriend to let him hang out at Buzz's to watch the goofiest series of films ever made.

The sudden vibration of his phone next to him garnered a whispered, triumphant "Yes!" as he read a text saying: _ "She's ready when you are, buddy. Gassed up and good to go."_

"Andy?"

The casual dress code of the day had allowed Sharon's soft-soled steps to go undetected as she apprehensively approached him.

"Oh, sorry! I was just about to bring you the files. We should be good to go. Provenza and the others just headed out."

Andy's warm brown eyes sparkled as he grinned up at her over his shoulder and while she had approached him with every intention of letting him down gently, she suddenly found the words wouldn't come as she couldn't bring herself to be the one that made that lovely smile falling from his lips.

"I think we have all certainly earned some time off." She took a step closer to the side of his desk where the stack of files sat. "I've got these. Why don't you head out, too."

His attention was briefly captivated by the curve of her bum in the dark denim jeans which fit her slim frame beautifully as she leaned forward to pick up the files.

"No, please, let me."

She shook her head as she quickly swept past him on her way back into her office. "Thank you, but I'm good."

A sudden panic hit him as he considered that neither of them had addressed the fact that they had plans later. Logging off his computer, he grabbed his keys and phone from his desk and followed her into her office. "Captain, er, Sharon, are we good? I mean...are you...do you...I mean, we're still on for tonight, aren't we?"

The hopeful look on his handsome face was her undoing, and so with a deep inhale of breath she nodded and softly answered, "Yes. We're still on for tonight."

He had to stop himself from throwing a triumphant fist in the air.

"What time is the reservation so I can meet you?"

Another wave of panic hit him as soon as he heard her question. It was imperative to his plans that he pick her up.

"Oh, no! I'll pick you up. Our reservation is at seven forty-five, so is seven okay?"

"But it's out of your way..."

"No, no! I'll pick you up." His words were rushed, and if he were honest with himself, a bit desperate. "I'm sorry. I just...I just want to do this right. Our date." He held his breath as he studied her intently, trying to gage some sort of reaction.

Watching him struggle, she was struck by how absolutely adorable he was and how very much he wanted the evening to go well, which, in its own right was adorable.

"I'm very much looking forward to it, Andy. Our date."

Unable to hide his pleasure at her response, his cheeks began to ache from the width of the smile he now wore.

"I'll see you at seven, Lieutenant."

Her eyes remained on his back as he practically floated out of her office only to spin on his heel and stick his head back inside, "Oh, by the way...do you know what color you are wearing tonight?"

The question was unexpected and it took her a moment to register what he had actually asked. "The color I'm wearing?"

He nodded, his cheeks warm and turning a shade of pink.

Unable to kerb a burgeoning smile, she decided to lighten the moment by teasing him. "Are you buying me a corsage or something? What color are you wearing? I could get you a boutonniere."

"No boutonniere, no corsage. Nothing like that. Please, just indulge me?"

In truth, she hadn't decided what she would wear given that she had basically talked herself out of going up until only minutes before. Making a quick mental inventory of the contents of her closet, she suddenly remembered the satin cabernet-colored dress she had been saving for a special occasion. "Umm...it's a deep reddish-purple, sort of a wine-colored dress."

"Wine-colored. Got it. Okay. Thanks." His smile once again spreading, he gave a little salute which he instantly regretted. "Until tonight, Captain."

"Until tonight, Andy."

Leaning further and further back in her chair in order to keep her focus on his retreating backside, she suddenly had to grab the edge of her desk not to completely flip backwards out of her seat which resulted in startled, "Shit!" before she burst into a fit of embarrassed laughter.

* * *

Andy was relieved to see it was Hector on duty. Of the handful of times he had used the main lobby of Sharon's building to pick her up or drop her off after one of their non-dates, Hector was by far the most friendly and talkative of the lobby attendants with whom he had interacted.

"Hector, my man!"

"Lieutenant Andy! Looking good!"

"Thanks!" Andy beamed back at the portly middle-aged man who he knew Sharon was particularly fond. "Did she tell you I was picking her up tonight?"

"Yes, sir. Head on up."

"You mind keeping an eye on my ride?" Andy gestured towards the circle drive.

Hector took a few steps away from the desk behind which he had been standing to get a better look at the drive, and what he saw earned Andy an appreciative whistle. "Sweet."

"You think she'll like it?"

Hector shook with a low chuckle. "If she doesn't, I'll go out with you."

Andy shook his head. "Thanks, and no offense, but I really hope I don't have to take you up on your offer, Hector."

"I don't blame you, Lieutenant. She's much prettier than I am."

Andy chuckled, "I won't disagree with you about that."

The attendant had long-wondered if there was something more than friendship between the nice, funny police lieutenant and his attractive police captain, however, he'd never seen twosome exchange so much as a hug in all of their comings and goings, but if the impressive bouquet in the man's hand and even more impressive wheels sitting in front of the building were any indication, perhaps things had taken a turn- and, hopefully, Hector thought, in a romantic direction.

"She'll like the flowers, too. Nice choice," the doorman nodded at the large bouquet of burgundy peonies, red and pink garden roses, dendrobium orchids, and magnolia foliage in his arms.

"Thanks, pal." Making his way towards the elevator bank, Andy added over his shoulder, "We'll be down shortly."

Having pushed the elevator call button, the buzz of his cell coincided with the bell chiming as the doors opened. Reading the text message which consisted of: _"You're good, Flynn. The fire and way will be lit. Enjoy, buddy!"_ he let out a whoop just as the doors closed.

* * *

"Woh."

Sharon's right leg was bent as she leaned her left thigh against the side of her bed, her bottom lip between her teeth as she concentrated on buckling one of her pewter high-heeled sandals as Rusty paused mid-pass of her bedroom door.

Grinning as she turned her head, she said, "I'm taking that as a compliment, so thank you. Lieutenant Provenza is picking you up and bringing you home tomorrow morning?"

"Yup. I should be home by noon. Patrice is making him go with her to visit her aunt at the nursing home tomorrow afternoon in exchange for letting him watch the movies with us."

Sharon laughed at the deal the newly cohabitating couple had made and asked, "Is that the aunt that calls him "Wonder Bread?"

"That's the one."

Turning the other direction, she had an easier time putting on her left sandal as she voiced her dismay at the film selection on the evening's agenda. "I can't believe you guys are going to watch those movies. You know they're terrible, don't you?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I know they are dumb, but Buzz said there is a guy with a dog who looks just like Provenza in it."

"The dog looks like Provenza?"

Rusty laughed and shot back, "They probably both do."

They exchanged laughter as she added, "I still don't see the appeal, but I hope you have fun."

He leaned against the door frame watching her hold various earrings up to her ear before she settled on a pair of Kendra Scott gold filligree statement earrings and coordinating chain which she doubled so that it rested just above her cleavage. A gold bangle added to her wrist, she then moved on from jewelry to applying a pale lip gloss before spritzing on a luxurious amount of her favorite perfume.

"I thought you were going out tonight with Lieutenant Flynn?"

"I am."

Rusty raised his left eyebrow.

"What?"

"Well, you usually wear jeans or, well, something not so...fancy when it's just him."

"Fancy? I'm just wearing a dress. I wear dresses all the time."

He raised his hands to indicate he meant no offense. "Whatever. I'm just saying that you are awfully dressed up for a non-date. I mean that's what this is, right? One of your multiple-times-a-month-non-dates where just the two of you go eat salads or get weird smoothies made of salads or go see boring movies or whatever else people your age do on dates that really aren't dates?"

She held her tongue for a moment, well-aware that she was about to treated to a gloating "I told you so" from her younger son.

"We're going to a new restaurant downtown and I am sure we will have something more than salad, thank you." Turning back to the mirror, she shifted slightly so she could watch his reaction in the glass before adding, "And I'm not saying that this is what this is for sure, but if Andy and I did go out...you know...as something other than...the what we...you know, how we have...not just as..." She inwardly chastised herself for the incoherent rambling and finally managed, "I'm trying to ask how would you feel about Andy and I going out as more than just friends?"

As she had expected, a smirk immediately found its way onto his face, but he surprised her by exhibiting an impressive amount of maturity as he replied, "I think it doesn't matter how I feel. I think the only thing that matters is how you would feel about it."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Well, thank you. That's very sweet."

He let a few seconds pass before offering the codicil: "I only ask that you don't touch each other or kiss or call each other cutesy names like "babe" or "sweetie" in front of me or I'll probably barf."

She couldn't help but snort at his request, but the levity was short-lived as there was the sound of knocking on the front door.

Rusty bit his lip as he watched a normally calm, cool, and collected Sharon Raydor turn in a haphazard circle, her hands going from her ears to her neck to her wrists as she made a quick inventory of accessories, make-up, and perfume.

"You look great, you smell great, and your shoes match. Now, just grab your purse and take a deep breath."

Picking up her clutch from the end of the bed, she took the prescribed deep breath and gave her head a shake. "I am crazy. You live with a crazy woman, you know that?"

"Yes, we're acquainted," he teased as he took her arm and gently led her towards the bedroom door, "but experience tells me that she is only crazy when she is really excited about something. Like the time she started whooping like some crazy bird when I won my first chess tournament."

Bumping his shoulder with her own she shot back, "I can't help it if those other parents had no sense of occasion."

"Yeah, it was the other parents." Stopping as they reached the entry, Rusty gave her arm a quick squeeze before adapting a mock-stern look. "Now, young lady, I expect you home by a decent hour."

"Very funny."

He felt her tense up as they came with in a few feet of the door.

"Have fun, crazy lady!" Rusty gave her arm one last squeeze before heading back down the hall, but when he noticed she still hadn't opened the door, he dashed back and stuck his head around the corner and whispered, "Mom, it's okay. It's just Andy," before slipping back out of sight.

"It's just Andy," she whispered as she took one last look in the mirror next to the door, not moving as she gazed more intently at her reflection and felt a warmth spreading up from her stomach as she grinned and whispered, "It's Andy."

* * *

"An-" She began addressing him as she opened the door, but stopped mid-word as her eyes landed on his handsome, smiling face and then drifted down to the open collar of his black shirt which he wore under a black suit coat which contrasted beautifully with his silver hair and dark, shining eyes. The absence of his ever-present tie not only surprised her, but brought a blush to her cheeks as she noticed a small amount of salt and pepper chest hair peeking out which inspired a tingle in her fingertips as she contemplated how very much she would like to reach out and touch it.

Her gaze lingering just below his chin, Andy tilted his head slightly to regain her attention as he brought the bouquet from behind his back. "These are for you."

She gasped as she took in what was possibly the most gorgeous bouquet she had ever seen, much less received. "Andy, goodness! They are exquisite."

Talking to women, complimenting them in particular, was something that had always come very natural to Andy Flynn, but in this moment he found himself speechless as he took in how breathtaking the woman standing in front of him was in her burgundy satin dress which clung to her every curve before stopping two inches above her knee which put her amazing legs on display. Her hair was pulled back on the sides and gathered with a clip at her crown with gentle waves left loose to frame her face. He always loved her hair done up in such a fashion given that it reminded him of fantasies from his youth of Jane Fonda in "Barbarella" or Ursula Andress. His gaze settled momentarily on her decolletage which was enticingly framed by the deep v at her neckline before shifting back to up her face on which she wore a sweet, but nervous smile.

"Andy?"

"Wow." He gave his head a small shake before breaking into his own nervous smile. "Sorry. I just...ummm...here."

She took the flowers from him and buried her nose into the blooms to hide her amusement at having caught him blatantly ogling her. Turning towards the kitchen, she called over her shoulder, "Thank you so much for these. Please come in!"

Mesmerized by the sway of her hips, he took the few steps into the condo which allowed him to continue watching her until she turned the corner into the kitchen.

"I can't get over how beautiful these are, Andy, and they match my dress. It's very sweet of you."

He realized she was referring to his question earlier in the day in regards to the color she was going to wear, which, in truth, was completely unrelated to the flowers, but he went along with her inference. "I'm glad you like them."

She stopped just outside the kitchen and held his gaze for a moment before softly returning, "I love them."

"You look beautiful."

Her vantage point allowed her to take in the full view of his body. Black shirt, black suit, belt, and shoes. He looked incredibly sexy, his posture straight and his warm brown eyes fixed on her with tremendous intensity.

"You look very handsome."

Her knees threaten to buckle as he gave her the smile that she was sure had lured dozens of women into his bed. Adapting a stern tone, she added, "But lose that smile."

His expression shifted to one of puzzlement. "What?"

"That smile. The one you just gave me." She shortened the distance between them with a few steps, her fingertips gently patting the center of his shirt as she softly added, "I'm not ready for that."

He was still confused, but his primary goal was to keep from screwing up their evening in even a tiny way, so he nodded. "Okay. No more smiles." He purposely put an exaggerated frown on his mouth as he leaned in towards her. "Better?"

She twisted her lips in an effort not to grin, but lost the battle, giggling as she gave him a playful shove. "No, not better. Now you look like Lieutenant Provenza."

"Dear God, don't say that!"

And with that short exchange, the awkwardness hat had permeated the beginning of their date disappeared and they both relaxed, at least slightly, as he gestured towards the door, his hand lingering only inches from her lower back as they set out on their first real date.


	2. Chapter 2

_Oh my goodness! You guys are so, so lovely! Thank you for the kind feedback. Here is chapter 2..._

* * *

Sharon was suprised he hadn't parked in the garage, but didn't question when he pushed the elevator button that would take them to the main lobby. When the doors opened, she was greeted by a knowing smile on the face of her favorite security guard.

"Good evening, Captain."

"Good evening, Hector."

"You both look very nice. Something special planned?"

She wasn't suprised to find Hector chatty; they always exchanged pleasantries, but this evening there was an extra playfulness on the part of the uniformed man.

"Dinner. We're having dinner downtown."

"Nice. Well, enjoy your dinner...and the ride."

Sharon glanced between the two men who were exchanging grins. "The ride?"

Andy gently took her elbow and led her out of the lobby and through the main doors. "This way, madam."

Cherry red and sporting a black leather interior, the 1965 Mustang convertible brought the phrase "sex on wheels" to Sharon's mind, and while she remained frozen, her jaw dropped and eyes opened wide with surprise as Andy passed her and leaned casually against the driver's door, his arms crossed and his eyebrow cocked. "So, what do you think?"

The rich, lush voice with which she normally spoke disappeared as a squeal escaped her lips, followed by: "Oh my God! This is ours?!"

He had hoped she would appreciate the gesture, but the sheer elation with which she was responding exceeded his expectations. "For the night."

"Seriously? We're...this...we seriously get to drive around LA in this car?"

"That's the plan. We can put the top up if you want, you know, if you are worried about your hair, but I do have this." Andy turned away and reached into the back seat from which he retrieved a shallow, rectangular box which was tied with a burgundy satin ribbon.

The sight of a second gift after the receipt of the gorgeous flowers and now the surprise of the car, was a bit overwhelming. Lifting her hands, she quickly made her way over to him, shaking her head. "The flowers and the car..you've done too much already."

"No, no. This is nothing. Really, it's nothing. I just thought with me springing the convertible on you, I should make sure you had something for your hair with the wind and all..."

"Andy..."

"It's nothing, look, just..." He slipped the ribbon from the box, pulled back the lid, and gently drew back a folded sheet of tissue paper to reveal a silk scarf featuring a screening of large-petalled blooms in various shades of pink, rose, burgundy, and red.

She instantly recognized the monogram on the tissue paper as that of an upscale Rodeo Drive boutique which she had never had the nerve to enter much less contemplate purchasing something from.

"Andy, it's beautiful, but it must have cost a fortune. This shop..."

Only inches separated their bodies as he reached out and gently pulled the scarf from the box. "I hoped one of the colors in it would match your dress and it suited my purposes. The cost is irrelevant. This is..." He draped the silky fabric over her hand, forcing himself to look into her eyes as he softly explained, "I'm wooing you, Sharon Raydor. The flowers, the car, the scarf, the dinner, and the rest..."

Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. "The rest?"

"Yes, well, you'll see, but anyway...Look, this is me, well, probably trying too hard, I mean, I hope I'm not, but, well, ...if it's too much, please tell me, but this...I just want...I just want to make sure that you know that this isn't...that this isn't us just being buddies anymore and if you don't...I mean I hope..."

"It's good, Andy," she interrupted his rambling in an effort to soothe his nerves, her voice soft as she assured him, "I like this. I'm good with the wooing."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Her eyes were moist as she looked into his, each registering the fact that they had turned a significant corner in the previous seconds.

"Good. Okay."

Her hands occupied with her clutch and the scarf, he quickly reached down and tucked the now empty scarf box under the driver's seat before taking her elbow and leading her to the far side of the car. Opening the passenger door, his eyes lingered on her legs as as she gracefully climbed into the seat before taking the scarf and folding it neatly into a kerchief which she effortlessly tied around her head as he made his way into the driver's seat.

Trading her regular eye-glasses for the sunglasses in her clutch, she gave a glance into the side mirror before turning to look at him.

"What do you think?"

She was a knock-out, reminding him of some 1950's movie star.

"Very glamorous. Audrey Hepburn, eat your heart out."

Delighted by the comparison, she thanked him before turning her attention to the immaculate and impressive interior of the Mustang. Her hand was gliding over the red stitching on the part of the seat between them when he threw caution to the wind and added, "But your legs are better."

His comment earned him another brilliant smile and she unknowingly added to his reward by slightly shifting in her seat which resulted in her dress raising a few inches up her thighs.

Facing forward, she still felt his gaze trained on her person as she noted, "It's seven-fifteen and we don't want to miss our reservation. Perhaps a little more driving and a little less wooing for now, Lieutenant."

"For now, Captain?"

Nodding, her lips curled up ever so slightly at the corners as she looked straight ahead and adjusted her sunglasses. "Yes. Just for now, Andy.

* * *

In a city whose streets were constantly filled with Maseratis, Jaguars, Bentleys, Rolls Royces, and every other variety of outrageously-priced and luxurious car, the fact that the vintage Mustang earned them turned heads and even a few shouts at intersections as they made their way downtown surprised Sharon.

"This is wild! The car is getting a lot of attention!" She lifted her voice to be heard over the wind and traffic as they approached central downtown Los Angeles.

"I don't think it's the car. I think it's the passenger."

Deciding she might not get another chance to enjoy such a ride, she pulled off her sunglasses and gave him a seductive look which included holding the end of one earpiece between her teeth before she began laughing. "You're right. I am pretty glamorous."

"Forget Audrey Hepburn. Now I'm thinking Sophia Loren." He offered as he briefly shifted his gaze from her face to her ample cleavage which was currently on display given the way the fabric of her dress was pulled taughtly between her bottom and the leather seat.

Placing the sunglasses back on her face, she reached over and gently pushed his chin with the tip of her index finger so that he was facing forward. "Eyes on the road, Andy. Eyes on the road."

* * *

The restaurant had a sleek, modern facade which didn't strike Sharon as particularly romantic as they pulled up to the valet stand, but once inside, both she and Andy immediately understood what all the fuss was about. Candles flickered everywhere and while the center of the restaurant was dotted with tables, there were a series of booths that lined that walls with high backs and horseshoe shaped seats that curved in such a way that the occupants were almost completely obscured from onlookers.

Scarf folded neatly and tucked into her handbag, along with her sunglasses, Sharon hesitated and made the unusual decision not to put her other glasses on, deciding her vision was adequate enough to allow her to navigate the restaurant. She didn't consider herself a vain person, but this also wasn't one of their typical outings. Grinning to herself she considered the fact that he was without his necktie gave her the liberty to also remove one of her own trappings. Her eyes adjusted fairly quickly, although she did have to gently reach out and grasp Andy's jacket cuff a few times as they made their way through particularly crowded areas like the bar as they approached the hostess stand.

"Flynn. Party of two."

A beautiful red-headed young woman in a fashionable black dress scanned the computer tablet in front of her, smiling as she spotted the listing. "Reservation for seven forty-five. Here we are. Your booth will be ready in about ten minutes. If you'd care to wait in the bar, I'll find you when it is ready."

Andy thanked the hostess and turned to look back at Sharon. "You want to...you aren't wearing your glasses."

"Astute observation, Detective."

"Can you see?"

She let out a chuckle. "Mostly. I'm not totally blind. My depth perception isn't the greatest, but I can see well enough."

"You just...you don't go without them much." He was staring at her, the fire-light around them allowing him to fully appreciate the flecks of gold shimmering in the pools of beautiful green.

"Andy?"

An embarrassed grin twitched on his lips. "Sorry. Your eyes are so beautiful."

The hostess interrupted the moment as she politely asked them to step aside so she could assist other patrons.

"Let's go to the bar." He took a few steps ahead of her only to be stopped as she reached out and grabbed his jacket.

"Wait. I might need a little help."

Her gesture at the sea of people ahead and the dim lighting around them allowed him to instantly understand her concern. "Sorry. Of course." Reaching out, he felt a thrill shoot up his spine as she not only took his hand, but allowed her fingers to slip between his.

Their hands remained clasped as they reached the bar and it was only after the bartender served her a glass of pinot grigio and him a tumbler of cranberry and soda on the rocks did he reluctantly let her go, although their hips were brushing given the overflowing capacity of the bar crowded around them.

Taking a drink, he found himself fixated once again on her glasses-free face.

"You're staring at me."

Caught out, he could only manage a shrug and a grin. "It's strange. Your face is..."

Swallowing a sip of wine, Sharon's eyes lit up up as she teased, "Oh, this should be good. What is my face?"

"Why do I do this to myself?" Andy threw his head back, closing his eyes.

Not letting him off the hook, she reached up and played with his collar as she implored, "My face. My strange face. I'm waiting."

"Ughh...You know I didn't mean it like that."

"You're not getting out of it, Flynn. Come on. My strange, strange face..."

He leaned forward, a gentle smile on his lips as he let his eyes take an appreciative tour of her face. "It's not strange. It's...I mean, you look like you, of course you do, but up close like this, without your glasses, it's like seeing a special you that not everyone gets to see and that's, well that's special in itself."

She had expected him to once again say her eyes were beautiful or wax poetic about their particular shade of green; things Jack or any number of other men would say, but this, she had not at all expected this. Overwhelmed, no retort would come.

A few seconds having passed without comment from her, he leaned in even closer and whispered in her ear: "Your face isn't strange. It's perfect."

The tickle of his breath on her ear still lingered as he pulled back to look at her and as taken aback as she was by his sweetness, she returned the surprise by lifting onto her toes and resting her hand on his shoulder as she placed a light kiss just to the right of his mouth.

He had experienced hundreds if not thousands of kisses during his sixty-two years of life, but he was certain that this one, this feather-light, pinot grigio-scented, tender brush of Sharon's incredibly soft lips was by far the most sweetest he had ever received.

"Flynn party of two?"

He was still basking in the feel of her lips when her fingers once again slipped between his and her gentle tug brought him back to the present.

"Our table's ready, Andy."

Taking the lead, he didn't miss at least six different men's heads turning and following Sharon Raydor in her liquid-like satin dress with her gorgeous legs as they approached and then passed their respective tables. Twenty years of sobriety before, Andy would have been jealous and territorial if his date was being so blatantly ogled as Sharon currently was, but a lot of meetings, therapy, not to mention a lot of Raydor-ordered sensitivity training over those past twenty years now allowed him to simply feel proud to have someone on his arm who was not only being obviously appreciated by others for her physical beauty, but whom he also knew to be incredibly funny, brilliant, and brave.

The booth into which he and Sharon were led was in the far corner of the restaurant, possibly the most secluded of all the tables, and unless he was imaging things, he was almost certain that the hostess gave him a wink confirming the fact that he had indeed scored the best table in the place after she handed out their menus and placed the wine list on the table.

The design of the booth with its high back and narrow entrance created unique acoustics which blocked out almost all of the surrounding noise, and each table also had its own sound system which pumped in a low soundtrack of jazz standards which were familiar, but not distracting.

"This is amazing," Sharon's voice was barely above a whisper, but Andy heard her clearly thanks to their setting. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Saying it is my pleasure would be the understatement of the year."

Picking up her menu, a twist of her lips preceded her nonchalantly asking, "Has the wooing recommenced?"

"With a vengeance, lady. With a vengeance."

Continuing to focus on the menu she simply replied: "Bring it on, fella."

Each sporting grins, they let the flirting halt as he joined her in perusing the menu, although it quickly became obvious that the task was turning out to be fairly difficult for Sharon as she began squinting at the menu, then pushing it back, followed by pulling it forward, and finally tilting it upwards, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't make out the small, ornate font in which the choices were listed.

Her struggle apparent, he leaned over and offered, "You could always put your glasses on, you know?"

She pursed her lips and made a slight growl sound in the back of her throat.

"Or I could just read the menu to you?"

"Oh, shut up," she muttered under her breath as she pulled the menu within an inch of her face.

"Sharon..."

Sighing dramatically she finally relented with a grieved, "Fine," before bruskly digging out her glasses case, and within a few seconds he found himself looking at the familiar face of his Captain.

"Better?"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye before returning to the menu. "Yes...but less special."

He let a few moments pass, his focus back on his own menu when he tenderly nudged her knee with his own and whispered, "You're just as special and just as gorgeous as before, four-eyes."

He was rewarded with a wide smile breaking across her face and a returned nudge to his knee from hers.

Now able to read the choices, her eyes scanned over the columns and sections, but she was finding it hard to concentrate preoccupied as she was by how very sweet Andy was being to her. And not only was sweet, but funny and incredibly handsome and doing a formidable job of spoiling her rotten which was something that she wasn't remotely prepared for, and while she wasn't sure if she believed in the concept of perfection, as far as she was concerned, the evening had been as close to perfect as she could imagine and so it was with a great deal of hesitancy and trepidation that she chose this moment to possibly bring it all to an end.

"I am having a wonderful time, Andy."

The matter-of-factness-of her statement caught him off-guard, but he managed to return "I'm glad to hear it..." before she reached out and put her hand over his wrist and said the dreaded word:

"But..."

He grimaced. "Oh, no. Why does there have to be a but?"

She couldn't help but smile at him and the little boy pout on his lips.

"A quick "but," but also an important one."

Sighing, Andy's shoulders fell as he nodded.

"The flirting, the hand-holding, the wooing, this general wonderful time we're having..."

A grin replaced his pout as he gave another nod.

"Well, I like it. I wasn't sure if this was a wise move, our going out, but now, I'm so glad we're here..."

"Me, too! Oh, God, me, too, Sharon! You have no idea..."

She moved a gentle finger to the center of his lips. "Please let me finish. It's lovely. You've been absolutely perfect, truly, but, Andy, if this it to go on beyond tonight we need some ground rules."

He took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he turned his gaze to the candle in the middle of the table. Of course it was too good to be true. Darth Raydor had been lurking in the shadows all along.

"Rules. Of course there are rules."

She took a deep breath. There he was. Resistant hot-head Lieutenant Flynn had been lurking in the shadows all along.

"Not rules, Andy. Just, well...an understanding."

Calling on his better angels, Andy took another breath, this one cleansing, and made the split-second decision to keep his mind open as he turned back to look at her.

"Okay. An understanding."

Reaching over, she pulled both of his hands onto the table and covered them with her own. "This lovely, fun, good thing- and no matter what anyone else says, I think it could be a good thing- this lovely, fun, good thing can only remain lovely, fun, and good if we take our time and figure it out...and there will be a lot to figure out, which means we will need to take things slowly. I just want to know... are you okay with that? If we take things slowly?"

His silence was deafening and she found herself holding her breath, her chest tightening as she whispered, "Oh, shit." Her focus on their hands, she didn't raise her eyes until she felt the shaking of his shoulders vibrating into her grasp of his hands. "Andy?"

He was laughing! She couldn't decide if she was more shocked or offended by his reaction. "You're laughing?!"

"I'm sorry! I've just never heard you say "shit" before. I don't think I've heard anything more coarse come out of your mouth than a "hell" or a "dammit." Oh, Sharon, of course..."

"Good evening."

The couple was startled by the sudden appearance of a young man in a crisp dress shirt and black tie in the entrance of their booth and each instinctively pulled their hands from the other's.

"My name is Miles and I'll be taking care of you this evening." He proceeded to extend his reach with a carafe of water and filled the empty glasses at their settings before offering to get them fresh drinks from the bar which Andy answered with a nod and "please." The offer of an appetizer was also met with a polite request on Andy's part that they be given a few more minutes.

The young man's stepping away from the table allowed Andy to quickly return his attention to Sharon. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you hanging before, and I certainly didn't mean to laugh." Trying to convey his earnestness, he reached over and took her hand in his. "I thought you were going to ask me to take you home or something."

"What?"

"I thought you were going to say it wouldn 't work with the job or that you know you can do better..."

"Andy, no! Don't be silly!"

"I laughed because I was relieved, well, and at the fact that you said "shit," but mostly I laughed because I felt relieved that you weren't dumping me."

"Andy..."

"Look,Sharon, I don't care if we move at a snail's pace, or a sloth, or turtle or whatever other slow animal I can't think of at the moment, but yes, of course I am okay with it. I'm in. Your speed. Whatever your speed is, that's my speed."

Relief flooded her insides as she asked a soft, "You're sure?"

"More than."

A grin slowly filled her face and she pulled her hand from his and offered it. "Okay. Then we have a deal."

He took her proffered hand, but rather than shake it, he gently turned it and placed a sweet kiss to her knuckles. "We definitely have a deal."


	3. Chapter 3

_I am so chuffed by this fandom's reception to my first Shandy piece. You guys are amazing! _

_I may be stretching the boundaries of Sharon Raydor's silly side in this short chapter, but she's with someone she trusts implicitly...and isn't that what fanfic is for- letting your otp experience emotions and events that the showrunners deprived them from experiencing? _

_I am, unfortunately, having to write this on an old chromebook with only the benefit of Notepad and 's editing services while I wait for a new laptop to be delivered, so mistakes and misspellings are very much mine._

_Again, thank you for your continued kindness. I hope to respond to your reviews soon- and get chapter 4 up and posted over the next few days. -Jen_

* * *

Each course of the meal they shared was better than the one before it, and while the food was, indeed, amazing, the conversation was equally as pleasurable as the friendship that had been growing since Andy's daughter's wedding now began to fully blossom as each felt more free to not only flirt, but let their guard down more so than any of the previous times they had spent in the other's company.

"No, but you see, it's because I was a really smart kid! That's why I was confused!"

Sharon was doubled-over with laughter and on the verge of laying down on the seat as the two-and-a-half glasses of wine she had drunk hit her with full-force as Andy entertained her with a story from his early youth.

"How does..." she could hardly catch her breath as she used his arm for leverage to pull herself back into an upright position as she continued to giggle. "How does you being a smart kid involve _that_ ending up in your belly button?"

As beautiful as Sharon was normally, the sight of her bright-eyed, pink-cheeked, and wearing her gorgeous smile took his breath away and he had to focus mightily to finish his tale.

"Well, being a partcularly smart six year-old, I knew the formal names of many body parts. Unfortunately at the time, I confused "rectum" like it said on the jar with "navel" and that's how I ended up with no shirt on and this gelatinous goop that was once a glycerin laxative suppository sticking out of my belly button and melting down my tummy as I burst in on my father's card game and announced to the room, "Pop, I don't think these things work. I still haven't pooped!"

She was leaning against him, tears running down her face as she fought to catch her breath, her voice soft and childlike as she cooed, "Sweet little six year old Andy! Oohhh...sweet, greasy little Andy..."

"My older brother still calls me "Jelly Belly" from time to time. Of course, he has reason to now." He patted his stomach with a sigh.

"Oh, don't pick on my friend," she chided while giving his hand a squeeze and then suprising him by tossing off, "I like your little belly," before picking up her glass of wine.

He had never been the kind of alcoholic who resented other people drinking in front of him. Booze for him had never been akin to placing a cupcake in front of a dieter. His need for the stuff had been deeper; rooted in his psyche as a form of escape from the horrors of his job and the demands of his marriage and fatherhood, This escape ,however, had often ended in his losing all sense of propriety and purpose which had one time too many resulted in the destruction of property, or more tragically, important relationships. Having watched Sharon slip into her current gentle, happy state had given him tremendous pleasure. It was lovely to see her so relaxed, as well as find himself the recipient of her touch, both playful and occasionally seductive, as the seclusion of their booth and the pleasure of his company slightly loosened her inhibitions and tongue.

Sharon rarely indulged in more than one glass of wine over the course of an evening, but the fact that she had been assured neither she, nor her squad would be called into work until Monday at the earliest, along with the knowledge that Rusty was safely in the company of men she trusted for the night, she granted herself permission to enjoy not only a second glass, but a third, although she decided halfway through the last that she had reached her limit and so after one more sip she moved the glass near the far side of the table.

Noting where she had placed her drink, Andy asked, "You're not going to finish it?"

She was grinning as she leaned her elbow on the edge of the table and rested her temple against her palm. "Better not. I'm a Happy Sally now. Any more and I'll become a Sloppy Sal."

Playfully mirroring her position, Andy returned her smile as he noted, "Happy Sally, huh? I don't think I know her."

The muscles of her neck were relaxed and she leaned slightly towards him before lifting and curling her finger, directing him to follow her in leaning against the plush back of the booth seat. Letting her head loll in his general direction, she waited to share her story until he did the same and their noses were almost touching.

"So, in college there were two Sharons on my dormitory floor. Me, Sharon O'Dwyer, and then frizzy-haired Sharon Sylvster. And Sharon Sylvester was a year ahead of me so many of the girls already knew her as the only Sharon, and so instead of calling us "Sharon 1" and "Sharon 2" or "Green-eyed Sharon" and "Blue-eyed Sharon" or whatever, they decided it was easier just to call me "Sally" instead of Sharon and when we'd sneak in our Boone's Farm or whatever cheap wine we pooled together to buy on a Saturday night, and I am, as you can probably tell, mostly a happy little drunk and so I became known as "Happy Sally," but one night we splurged and had rum and coke instead of wine. Unfortunately, as it turns out, rum and I do not get along, and so given the fact that I spent most of the night with my body curled around one of the community bathroom's toilets, Happy Sally disappeared and I became "Sloppy Sal" for about a week."

"Well, I am very sorry for Sloppy Sal having spent my fair share of time wrapped around a toilet, but this Happy Sally girl...I rather like her."

Closing her eyes, she tipped her head forward until their noses were touching. "Well, that works out because she thinks you're pretty cute, Jelly Belly."

He let his forehead rest against hers as he chuckled. "Why, oh why, did I ever tell you that story?"

A sexy, throaty laugh escaped her lips before she whispered, "Tell me another."

Her request went unfulfilled as their waiter Miles suddenly appeared at the booth's opening. "Can I interest either of you in dessert this evening?"

Sharon shook her head, her smile fading a bit as she tried to regain a more respectable posture in the presence of the young man. "None for me, thank you."

Andy caught her swaying slightly and placed a gentle hand on her lower back as he added, "Just the check, please."

Knowing their amazing meal came with a hefty price tag, Sharon had made the decision early on in the evening to insist that Andy let her pay her fair share. "Please let us split the check, Andy. It's only right." She reached for her clutch but was stopped as he placed his hand over hers.

"Not on your life. There is no splitting when wooing."

"Andy..."

His look was serious, but kind as he firmly stated, "No dice, Sally."

He was surprised when she didn't argue further and became more intrigued as he found her staring at him while wearing a slightly wicked grin, her focus squarely on his lips. He was about to ask her what exactly she was doing when she suddenly said, "Okay, I'll let you pay on one condition."

"What's that?"

"I want you to say something for me."

He gently tipped her chin up with his knuckle in order to lift her gaze from his mouth to his eyes he asked, "Say something?"

"Yes."

"What? Like the Gettysburg Address?"

She leaned into him, her lips in a slight pout. "Don't be silly."

"You're right. I'm the silly one here."

Narrowing her eyes, she very seriously said, "I want you to say 'Woo."

"Just that word?"

"Mmm-hmmm..." she hummed and nodded as she moved her gaze back to his lips.

"Okay." He purposefully pursed his lips, but only got out the "w" when she pushed her own lips against his for a sweet, but chaste kiss.

Pulling back, more out of shock than anything else, he let out a gasp and whispered, "You kissed me."

Her eyes opened wide, she threw her hand over her mouth, pulling back to reveal a silly smile as she giggled and admitted, "I did!"

Turning his head slightly, he playfully chastised her. "Sally, you naughty girl."

"Here you are. I'll take care of that whenever you are ready."

Mile's reappearance with the bill halted whatever else might have progressed out of the incredibly lovely moment they had just shared and as Andy reached for his wallet, Sharon leaned over and whispered that she was going to make a quick trip to the ladies' room.

"I'll come find you. I think it's near the exit." Andy offered, watching with admiration as she moved with surprising grace given that her equilibrium was slightly compromised at the moment.

A generous tip added and the receipt signed, Andy made his own way for a quick trip to the restroom and upon finishing, found himself meeting Sharon as she exited the ladies' at the same moment. Offering his hand, he greeted her.

"Well, hello, there."

There was a small part of him that feared she had managed to sober up slightly in the restroom, and worst case scenario, found herself regretting their sweet kiss, or at the very least reverting back to Captain Raydor from the delightful Sally of the previous few minutes. His fears, however, were relieved when she slid her hand into his and leaned gently against his side, her chin resting on his shoulder as she asked, "So, my woo-er, what's next?"

"Well," he happily answered as the main doors of the restaurant were opened for them and they stepped out into the clear, balmy night, "I thought we might take a little ride."

She let out an excited,tipsy gasp, her eyes lighting up as she asked, "In the sexy car?"

Andy looked up to find an amused look on the young valet attendant's face given that Sharon's voice echoed through the archway under which they currently stood. Handing over the ticket, he gave his head a shake before turning back to answer, "Yes, my dear. In the sexy car."


	4. Chapter 4

_I am so sorry it took so long to get this up! It is definitely longer than the last and a little more...emotional. New laptop is here so I hope to be able to finish this story up in the next couple of days._

_Thank you again for your warm welcome to this fandom and for all the lovely kindnesses you have sent my way._

_XO- Jen_

* * *

The lights of the city shining around her, Sharon was oblivious to the artificial cosmos through which they rode as she relaxed back against the Mustang's passenger seat, her eyes closed as she held her hands lifted slightly above her lap drawing random curves in the air while lightly singing along with the radio.

_...such a lovely place , such a lovely face…plenty of room…_

Andy was thoroughly enjoying her little performance but was also concerned that she might crash before they arrived at their destination, and so the sight of a Dunkin Donuts ahead on the right inspired him to weave over two lanes to pull into the drive-thru.

"...to the Hotel Califor…" she was mid-lyric when he suddenly turned the music down as they approached the speaker and a female's voice called out: "It's a good day for Dunkin. How may I help you?"

Andy had managed, "Two large black coffees and two bottles of water, please," when he felt the sudden weight of Sharon leaning on him, her left hand propping her up against his right shoulder as she held onto the steering wheel with her right.

"Oh, donuts!"

Amused by her enthusiasm but surprised at her interest he leaned back to look at her face. "Really? You really want a donut?"

"Yes, please." she answered, her tone sweet and childlike as she all but batted her eyes at him. "Chocolate."

"I don't think I've ever seen you eat a donut."

"Pretty please?"

"Ooh-kay." He chuckled as he turned back towards the speaker and added, "And a chocolate glazed..." before Sharon pressed her weight against his shoulder again.

"Not glazed! Iced!"

"Okay, okay! Settle down, Sally," he teased before turning back to the speaker. "Two large black coffees, two bottles of water, and a chocolate _iced_ donut, please," Turning back to her he asked, "Anything else?"

A satisfied smile on her face, she shook her head as she gave his arm a squeeze and slipped back into her childlike persona as she whispered, "Thank you, Andy."

There were two cars ahead of them in line which gave him the opportunity ask, "Why didn't you get dessert at the restaurant? I'm sure they had amazing..."

Frowning, she shook her head, "Oh, no! I'm too full."

Looking around, he lifted his hand and gestured towards the donut shop. "You just ordered a donut!"

He was met with an enigmatic smile before she closed her eyes and hummed out a bliss-filled, "Mmm...donuts."

Unable to take his eyes off her, a warmth bloomed in his chest as he realized there was no other place he'd rather be and no other person in the world he would rather be with in this moment.

She let her head rest back against the seat for a few seconds before letting it fall towards him. "I'm sleepy, but I don't want to fall asleep."

"Hang in there. Just a couple of minutes and you will have caffeine and sugar. You'll be perked up in no time."

The car in front of them advancing, he was about to follow suit when he felt her soft fingertips stroke the back of his hand as she whispered, "Good. I don't want to miss anything."

* * *

Pulling out of the drive thru and into a parking spot, Andy was relieved that Sharon understood his intent as she took the bag holding her donut with her and joined him in moving outside of the immaculate car.

Setting the cups of coffee on the back of the car, he held out a hand and took the bag of donuts which were set next to the cups before he reached out and took her hand to assist her up onto the trunk lid.

Handing her one of the coffees and the bag he admitted, "This takes me back."

"To where?" She asked before opening the bag and inhaling deeply, her eyes rolling back in her head as she basked in the yeasty sweetness consuming her senses.

He took a sip of his coffee, leaning against the car as he allowed himself to enjoy the sight of her delighting in her treat. "Takes me back to high school and staying out all Friday night with my buddies and sneaking into clubs and getting buzzed on cheap beer and then at the end of the night we'd head over to the alley behind our local bakery and flirt with old Mrs. Genovese whose husband owned the place and she'd give us free warm sweet rolls and espresso and we'd sober up enough to go home and pretend we had been at one another's house instead of chasing girls and causing trouble."

"I an only imagine what you were like as a teenager," she teased as she delicately pulled the donut out between her thumb and index fingertips and lifted it to her mouth only to be halted as he asked, "What about you, little miss rule-follower? Did you ever stay out all night?"

She lowered the donut and looked out across the parking lot, her memory less than sparkling giving her slight inebriation.

"I don't think…oh, wait! Yes, actually! Just once. My girlfriend Toni and I and these two guys who were the year ahead of us did."

"And?"

She shrugged as she began to lift the donut back to her mouth. "We had to sleep in a cemetery."

Her mouth was open, but his hand on her wrist halted the donut from entering her mouth.

"You slept in a cemetery?!"

She nodded and lifted the donut again, but her third attempt only resulted in a bit of frosting on her lip as he exclaimed, "Wait! You can't just say you spent the night with two guys in a cemetery and leave it at that!"

She pursed her lips at him. "I can if it means getting to take a bite of my donut."

"Wait, please. Come on." Moving to face her, he rested his hands on the trunk on either side of her hips while also mustering a pleading smile.

"Oh, fine." She dropped the pastry back in the bag with a sigh and licked her upper lip before explaining, "I was sixteen and it was my first real date but the only way my father would let me go was if I doubled with Toni, so the boy…"

"Wait. You slept in a cemetery on your very _first_ date ever?"

"Yup."

"The question I find myself asking is how anyone ever convinced you to go out on a second.""

She shrugged. "I'm made of stern stuff, Andy Flynn. Brave soul and all that."

"I forgot. You are Wonder Woman," His comment inspired a bloom to across her cheeks before he encouraged her to go on. "So, double-dating with Toni."

"Right, so, the boy that asked me out was named, and I am not making this up...Winky Winkleman."

"Stop it."

"No! I'm serious!" she promised as she reached out and played with the button just below the opening of his neckline on his shirt. "His name was really William, but no one called him that."

"Winky. Wow. Okay, so Sally, Toni, and Winky…"

"That sounds like a _Dick and Jane_ book, but I was still just plain old Sharon then. I hadn't discovered the delights of cheap wine yet." The fingers that had been preoccupied with is buttons flexed up slightly and she was instantly distracted by the tickle of his chest hair on her skin, her eyes drifting down the length of his face to where her fingers currently toyed.

"So, who was Toni's date?"

She swallowed hard, a warmth on her cheeks as she looked up at him. "Winky's best friend, Tubbs Glenn."

"Tubbs? Hmmm...I take it he was a big fellow?"

"Very. About six feet four and easily three hundred pounds."

"Woh."

"Oh, but he was just a gentle giant, very sweet, and he had a terrible crush on Toni who was barely five feet tall and weighed about 90 pounds. They made quite the couple."

"I bet! And Winky? Was he quite the stud?"

She couldn't help but giggle as she pictured the lanky boy who had had a crush on her since they were twelve years old and whom she had only agreed to go out on a date with because she didn't want to hurt his feelings by saying no. "He was tall, but not as tall as Tubbs, and skinny, but so was I. He wasn't Robert Redford by any stretch, but he was very sweet."

"You felt sorry for him, right?"

She scrunched her nose, not wanting to be unkind. "Not..no…I didn't feel sorry for him. He was just...he was a very nice boy."

He didn't press, although he was quite certain his assumption that beautiful, kind Sharon O'Dwyer had taken pity on the fellow was correct. "Okay, so Sharon, Toni, Winky, and Tubbs go out on their double date…"

"We sound like some Saturday morning cartoon!"

He laughed at the thought. "The Adventures of Sharon, Toni, Winky, and Tubbs!"

"Sharon, Toni, Winky, and Tubbs go to the moon," she added before joining in his laughter.

"So, was it a good date?"

"Mmm..." she let her head fall to the one side as she tried to remember what had happened before the cemetery. "It was. Mostly..."

"Mostly?"

"Well, we did typical teenage first date stuff. We went for pizza and then we were going to go to our local skating rink which happened to be in front of this big, creepy old cemetery and I guess the boys thought they would impress us by daring one another to go in, but Toni and I were pretty…_ballsy_…and so it became a boys versus girls thing to see who would go further in and then it was who would lay down on a grave and who would go inside a mausoleum, and then suddenly it was getting pretty dark and we all freaked out a little and when we ran back to the gate, we were locked in."

"Holy crap! Who freaked out the most?"

Sharon snorted as she leaned back, her weight supported by one hand resting behind her. "Tubbs! That great big boy immediately burst into tears!"

"Oh, man!"

"Bless his heart. He was so embarrassed! He kept apologizing to Toni. I'm pretty sure he was afraid of the dark as it was, but then add the whole surrounded by dead people thing and he was apoplectic."

"So, there you are in the dark cemetery...the giant crybaby, Winky, the future police captain, and her tiny friend…"

"And I think I suggested that maybe either Toni or I could slip between the bars of the fence and go get help but even with Toni being tiny and me being a string bean, neither of us could squeeze through because the bars were only spaced about six inches apart."

"And there was no way to climb over?"

She shook her head. "The gate and fence were well over twelve feet tall. I could almost reach the top by standing on Tubb's shoulders, but I think I would have probably broken an ankle if I had climbed over and had to drop."

"Oh, man…"

"The good thing was that it was a warm and clear night, so it wasn't a big deal to sleep outside. I was far more scared that my father was going to chain me to my radiator and never let me leave the house again when we got out the next day."

"You weren't freaked out about being in the dark in a cemetery?" Andy asked with a shiver.

Sharon shrugged and frowned. "Not really. I've never been that creeped out by dead people. It's just boxes and bones and headstones.'

Andy considered the fact that she had always been a cool customer at crime scenes and when he had joined her to consult with Dr. Morales in the morgue, but he was still surprised that a teenage Sharon had held it together given the situation. "You're nuts. I would've peed my pants."

She waved her hand dismissively. "I doubt that, still the worst part was just dreading what was going to happen to me when I got home the next day."

He gave her knee a squeeze, and when she didn't protest, let his fingers rest there as his thumb ran light circles over her knee cap. "What time did they open the gate?"

"Sunrise. Toni and I were huddled together on a soft patch of grass on one side of he gate and the boys were laying on the other side of the road and the old caretaker who had locked us in the night before told us later that he thought we were bags of garbage that someone had thrown over the fence until we started moving as we heard his truck get closer to the gate."

"And your folks? What happened when you got home? Were you grounded for six months?"

"Well, the police were there and all my neighbors were out in their yards. It was totally embarrassing at the time and I was shaking, not from the night, but from fear about how my dad was going to react."

"So what happened?"

"Well, my mom was just so happy that I was okay I thought she was going to break my ribs she kept hugging me so tight and wouldn't let go."

"And your father?"

"My dad..." Her gaze shifted to over his shoulder although her eyes didn't focus on anything particular in the distance, a gentle smile breaking as she recalled how her father had simply stood behind her mother with his arms wrapped tightly around his body, tears that she had never before seen him shed rolling down his cheeks.

"You okay?" Andy gently cupped her cheek, his head tilted as he looked at her with concern.

Clearing her throat, she gave her head a little shake before managing a smile. "Yes. I just hadn't thought about that morning in a long time."

Sharon's father had passed away only eighteen months before, and Andy quickly realized she was probably still working through her grief and this trip down memory lane had most likely brought it to the surface. Putting himself in her father's shoes and imagining if it had been Nicole returning home after a night of being missing, he softly asked, "He wasn't mad at all, was he?"

"No. He just stood behind my mom for a few minutes until I looked up at him and before I knew it, he was behind me, pulling both of us into his arms." She let her cheek rest against his palm as she looked up into his eyes. "And then he just kept whispering over and over in my ear: 'M_y _girl. My girl is safe_._"

He used his free hand to wipe away a stray tear that ran down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"Oh, Andy, you didn't. Not at all." She wrapped her hands around his and pulled them to just below her chin. "It's a good memory, really. It was nice to remember." She cleared her throat again, divining a smile to ease his concern as she added, "I'm just a little...fuzzy. I should've stopped at one glass of wine."

He wiped away a few more tears before offering, "I think I know what would make you feel better."

She closed her eyes as he leaned in towards her and she held her breath as she waited for his lips to touch hers, but she found herself jerking back slightly as the smell of dough invaded her senses and a smear of icing brushed onto her upper lip. If forced, she would have to admit that she was disappointed that he had brought the donut to her lips instead of his own.

Watching her teeth finally sink into the pastry, he anticipated witnessing her slip into ecstasy, but instead was treated to her giving him a firm shove to the right before sending the bite hurdling towards the ground, although it bounced off her toes before landing on the parking lot below.

He stared at her in disbelief.

"Ugh. That was disgusting. How can something that smells so good taste so bad?"

His mouth hung open as he stared at her. "Did you really just spit out your donut?"

Reality dawning, she threw her hands over her mouth, eyes wide with shock.

He couldn't help but burst into hysterical laughter. "That...I can't...I can't believe _you_ just did that!"

She shook her head as she pulled her hands away. "I am so embarrassed! Oh, God, Andy! I am so..."

Laughing, he side-stepped the donut bite and took her face in his hands. "You're beautiful."

"Hardly! I'm disgusting! Oh, I am so sor-" She tried to look away, but he held her fast.

"Don't you dare apologize. I had hoped tonight would be memorable and now it definitely is, Captain Raydor!"

"You can't tell anyone. Please, Andy!"

Knowing he had a playful upper-hand, he let go of her face and leaned back a bit as he studied her worried countenance. "Hmmm…you may have to make it worth my while."

Her eyes narrowed as she held his gaze and she willed a smile not to betray her lips as she shot back, "You're threatening blackmail against a superior?"

"Technically we're on a date so you aren't my superior…" he reconsidered his statement. "Well, of course you are my superior, being the fairer sex, of course, you're my superior, but it's a different kind of superiority…"

Pulling a napkin out of the bag, she delicately wiped her mouth off as she regained her composure. "Quit flannelling and name your terms, Flynn," she said matter-of-factly as she straightened her posture.

"Hmmm...I better make this count." He rested his chin in his palm as though deep in contemplation. "I know. You have to have dinner with me every Friday for the next month as long as we aren't knee deep in a murder."

His demand wasn't much of one given that they usually had dinner on Friday evenings when work allowed, but she liked the little game they were playing so she pressed: "Just dinner or do your terms require me to partake in other activities."

"Other activities? Perhaps you could provide me with some examples?"

She cocked her head at an angle and looked up for a moment before answering. "Activities like going to the movies or going to one another's house to watch a film, or concerts, you know, long walks...activities of that nature."

Crossing his arms in front of him, he let her dangle for a moment before he asked, "Do you think there might be kissing involved with any of these activities?"

Her eyes widened and she bit the side of one of her blushing cheeks as she forced herself to look into his eyes rather than focus on his lips which suddenly seemed incredibly enticing. "Hmmm…kissing. That's, well, I would say…" She exhaled deeply before relenting. "I would say kissing wouldn't be out of the question."

"So, dinners and other activities possibly with kissing for the next four Fridays." Wanting to retain his slight advantage in the situation, he maintained a business-like tone as he held out his hand. "Well, ma'am, I think we have a deal."

Unable to keep from grinning, she reached out and shook his hand, but immediately let out a yelp as he surprised her by pulling firmly enough that she slid into him. "Andy!"

Their noses almost touching, he moved his free hand around to rest on the middle of her back as he added, "And because I'm sort of sweet on you, not only will I keep the fact that you sent a chunk of slobbery donut flying across the parking lot, but I won't tell everyone that you kissed me first."

His lips were millimeters from hers as he asked the question and she found herself holding her breath as she anticipated him closing the gap between them, but again her hopes were dashed as he moved so that his mouth was only a few centimeters from her ear.

"You ready to take that ride?"

Nodding, she prepared to climb down from the car, but hesitated as she suddenly looked down at the smear of sticky chocolate which covered three of her toes. "My foot. I don't want to traipse chocolate into the car."

Stepping back, he followed the direction of her gaze and then quickly fetched his handkerchief from his pocket. "Hang tight," he whispered before trotting back to the driver's side of the car to retrieve his bottle of water. Wetting the hanky on his way back to her, he lifted his foot up onto the bumper and gently grasped her ankle and rested her foot on his knee as he dabbed at her toes.

"Sorry it's cold," he apologized as he wiped away the last few bits.

Watching his tender ministrations, she was far more affected by the warmth of his touch than the coolness of the water and she felt a sudden twist in her stomach which soon moved even lower. It had been so long since a man had touched her outside of a handshake or a friendly embrace and each time that night that Andy had held her hand or the fleeting moments when he had gently cupped her cheek, she had found herself longing for more of his touch.

Her breath hitched as his hand slipped up to her calf before tenderly lowering her foot to its place beside her other, and upon his release, she felt immediately disappointed as she watched him pick up their coffee cups.

"Here, let's finish these and they we'll take off."

They held one another's gaze as they proceeded to drink the hot coffee which led to Sharon's senses sharpening as the rich, strong drink connected with her nervous system and the slight dull buzz from the wine began to disappear.

"I still can't believe I just spit that donut out," she whispered before taking another sip. "God, I'm such a lightweight."

He closed the distance between them, putting his coffee down before reaching over and gently tapping her knee with the side of his thumb. "How are you feeling now?"

"You mean besides completely mortified?"

"Oh, please. Don't be silly."

She placed her coffee cup next to his on the trunk. "Thank you for the coffee. I feel more alert."

"Good."

She inched forward as she considered climbing off the back of the car but was unsure about her footing given her heels,. "Do you mind helping me down?"

More than happy to have the opportunity to touch her, he wrapped his hands around her waist and waited until her hands were grasping his shoulders before helping her hop down.

Safely on the ground, she began to take a step back, but was unable to move as she felt him take a firmer grip around her waist.

"You really okay?"

"I am." She let her hands lightly skim over his shoulders and down his upper arms as she explained, "There's this very nice man taking care of me. He brought me the most gorgeous flowers, and then he took me to a very romantic restaurant in this amazing car, and then he bought me coffee and the world's worst donut and just a minute ago he wiped chocolate off my toes."

He was blushing a bit, but managed a cheeky, "He seems like quite a catch. How in the world did you ever land him?"

She bit her bottom lip, failing miserably at keeping a smile from breaking across her face. "I'm not sure. He hangs around my work."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. In fact, he is constantly outside my office looking in and giving me these goofy smiles."

"Goofy?"

"Incredibly goofy." She lifted onto her toes and whispered in his ear, "But he's also a terrible flirt."

"Yeah?"

Mmm…He has quite the reputation."

"No…"

She leaned back and gave him a reproachful look. "Oh, yes. A total ladies' man."

"Sharon…"

Giving his arms a squeeze, she tried to assure him. "You know I'm just teasing. It's okay, Andy."

"It's not." He took a step back, so he could look at her fully. "You know that's not what…I'm not that guy, Sharon…."

"I really was just teasing."

"No, I'm glad you said it. I want us to be clear. I haven't been on a date in more than two years." He hesitated but decided to take a huge chance by being completely honest with her. "I haven't even considered…haven't wanted anyone but you since Nicole's wedding."

His confession left her speechless.

"Do you remember that day before the Nutcracker, after Nicole stopped by the office and you found out I had…misled her a bit, and you invited her and me to dinner before the ballet so we could set things straight?"

"Of course."

"Well, do you remember what I said when we were in your office figuring out what we were going to tell her?"

She remembered the conversation and how flustered she'd felt, but she couldn't recall anything specific he had said besides agreeing to talk to Nicole at dinner. "I don't remember anything specific. What did you say?"

"I said I didn't want to. I tried, but you didn't really hear me. I didn't want to tell Nicole that we weren't together that night because I wanted it. I wanted it so much."

"Andy…"

"I'm not that guy I was years ago just going from meaningless distraction to meaningless distraction anymore, Sharon. I finally have it figured out, see? I know what I want. Maybe for the first time in my life…"

She was feeling more and more conflicted as he went on, and while she was desperate not to push him away, she also felt it was too soon to be having this particular conversation. As she had in the restaurant, she lifted a finger to his lips to halt his speech before she whispered, "Wait, Andy. We're not there. Not yet."

"Sharon…"

She looked up into his face, a soft smile on her lips. "I didn't say no, Andy. I'm not saying no. Just not yet."

He sighed, but the corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he offered, "Snail speed."

"Sloth speed," she answered with a warm smile.

Giving her waist a slight squeeze he added, "Turtle speed."

She nodded, "Turtle speed."

Releasing her from his embrace, he took her hand, and fingers interlaced, they made their way back to the car, stopping long enough to gather and throw away their cups and the rumpled donut bag before he opened the passenger door for her, his eyes once again landing on her legs as she sat. The door closed, he leaned down so that their faces were even.

"You feel like doing a little dancing, Captain?"

"I'd love to."

He was moving to stand when she placed her hand over his on the car door. "Wait, before we go. There's just one more thing I need you to do."

"What's that?"

"I need you to say something for me."

"And what might that be?"

"I want you to say w-"

Before she could get the word out, his lips were on hers as they shared a longer, deeper kiss than her peck in the restaurant.

Pulling away, he gave her a crooked grin and whispered, "Now we're even," before turning to make his way around to the driver's side.

* * *

They had just merged onto the freeway when Andy turned to Sharon and asked if she'd like to listen to music.

Nodding in the affirmative, she relaxed back in the seat as he searched through the stations until finally landing on one that played jazz standards.

The moon high and bright above them, and the breeze comfortable as they coasted down the open road, Andy reached over and took Sharon's hand just as a mellow trumpet filled the speakers followed by the smooth voice of Chet Baker singing:

_Lately I find myself out gazing at stars_

_Hearing guitars like someone in love_

_Sometimes the things I do astound me_

_Mostly whenever you're around me_

_Lately I seem to walk as though I have wings_

_Bump into things like someone in love_

_Each time I look at you _

_I'm limp as a glove_

_And feeling like someone in love…_


	5. Chapter 5

_Last bit..._

* * *

That they were headed west towards the beach was clear, but it wasn't until they crested over the top of a hill and Sharon caught sight of the full moon reflecting off the ocean in the distance did she realize that the beach was their actual destination.

"We're going to the beach?"

Andy was relieved to see an excited smile on her face as he nodded in the affirmative. The further they had traveled out of the city the more subdued she seem to have grown, and the last ten minutes of the trip had been spent in relative quiet with the exception of the music from the radio. "Is that okay?"

"Absolutely!"

"I was worried you were falling asleep on me," he admitted as they took the final turn that led down toward the beach.

"No, no. I was just enjoying the ride."

It wasn't exactly a lie, but it certainly wasn't the truth. In fact, the thing with which she had been preoccupied was a persistent arousal which she had made itself quite clearly known after he had kissed her in the parking lot of the donut shop, and she now felt a bit hypocritical given that she was the one who had insisted that they take things slow.

"You sure you're alright?" He reached over and ran a warm hand over the cool skin of her arm.

"_Get it together, girl_," she silently chided herself as she squirmed in her seat in reaction to his gentle touch. "I'm great. Just excited."

The smile he gave her inspired her to squeeze her thighs together and she fought to push aside thoughts of how his warm hand would feel sliding between her legs.

"So here we are." Andy stopped at a security gate and quickly entered five digits which granted them entrance onto a private drive that led to a charming shingled cottage.

"Oh, this is lovely." She quickly removed her seatbelt to grant her more mobility as she looked around at the well-lit property.

Rolling up the windows, Andy then engaged the mechanism that pulled the top over the car and once he was certain it was in place, he told her to stay put as made a quick trip to the trunk of the car, and upon returning offered, "I hope I got the right size. I looked at the muck boots you keep in your trunk and they said size seven so that's what I got." He presented her with a pair of gold flip flops that still had an Old Navy tag on them. "Yeah, I'm a big spender. They cost five whole dollars."

She hummed her appreciation and gave him a brilliant smile before reaching down to remove her heels. "A seven is perfect."

Leaning against the car, he removed his shoes and socks and rolled his pants up a few inches before putting on his own pair of black flip flops.

"I have a key to the house, but that's mostly just so we can use the restroom. We can make a quick stop inside and then head down to the beach if that's okay with you?"

A little battle commenced inside her head as she felt both relief and disappointment to know that he wasn't planning on them curling up on the couch inside, which had nothing to do with her trust in him, and everything to do with the current aroused state in which she found herself.

"That sounds perfect. I could use a quick stop."

Making their way to the front door, Sharon began to wonder how many other women had received flip flops from Andy Flynn before crossing this particular threshold.

"So, there is a bathroom at the end of that hall," he pointed in the direction of a corridor that was off the pleasant living room in which they currently stood. "I'll use the master at the other end."

Looking around as she made her way through the cottage, her professional eye determined that the owner was most likely male and single given the lack of any decorations outside of a few generic seascapes on the walls. The furniture was all nice, but more utilitarian than aesthetically pleasing.

Given that this was nothing more than a pit stop, she refrained from getting too nosey and didn't so much as even crack open the door of the medicine cabinet above the sink, although, she assumed anything personal would be in the master bath where Andy was.

Looking into the mirror, she was pleased to see that the tears she had shed in the donut shop's parking lot hadn't altered her eye makeup too much, and with a quick application of lipstick and powder she felt refreshed, although she decided to take her hair completely down after its two scarf-wrapped car rides.

"You good in there? Anything you need?"

She quickly tucked the lipstick and powder back into her clutch as she called out, "Thanks! I'm good. Be right out!"

Walking down the corridor, she was surprised to see he had removed his jacket and had a Dodgers duffle bag on his shoulder and their water bottles in his hand.

"What's in the bag, slugger?"

"Just some odds and ends. Shall we?"

She nodded, her tummy flipping over with a bit of nervous excitement as she followed him out the door and into the night.

Following a sandy path that began at a gate about twenty feet beyond the cottage, it became instantly clear to Sharon why he had provided the flip flops. Steps constructed of railroad ties led them down a decline of about fifty feet to the beach and there was no way her heeled sandals would have made the trip without getting caught multiple times in the splits that time, rain, and sand had carved into the path. The footwear was also advantageous given that the steps were lit only by a series of lanterns on every other level and this, along with her lack of glasses, gave her a perfect excuse to hold tightly to Andy's arm as they made the trek.

Her concentration so focused on the path, she was shocked when she looked up at the bottom of the steps to find herself standing at the opening of a stone inlaid island of sorts on which there was a patio table and chairs under a large umbrella, as well as some single and double sun loungers which surrounded a firepit in which there was a brilliant blaze already burning.

"Andy," she whispered as she tightened her grip on his hand.

"What do you think?"

Glancing about, she sighed as her focus shifted to the beautiful beach which fairly glowed in the moonlight, the tide ebbing about fifty yards beyond where they stood.

"I'm…overwhelmed. Thank you. This is incredible."

"I'm glad you like it."

He felt his shoulders relax for the first time that evening. They'd finally made it. It had been a long time since she had volunteered to be a buffer for Nicole's wedding, and after months and months, he was no longer just pining for her; she was standing beside him, her hand in his, the memory of the taste of her kiss still on his lips, and he could take pride in the fact that he was responsible for the look of wonder that currently graced her face.

"Just a few final touches." Leading her to the table, he set his water bottle down before opening his bag to remove a blanket, a small bluetooth speaker, and a large paper bag which he refrained from opening.

"The blanket is for if you get cold," he explained as he draped it over the double lounger which was positioned at the center of the deck. "And this…" he turned on the Bluetooth speaker and then retrieved his cell phone from his pocket. It took a few seconds for the devices to connect, but before long the sound of Tony Bennett singing "The Way You Look Tonight" began to float through the air. "There we go."

Leaving the bag and his phone on the table, he held out his hand and asked, "Could I interest you in a little barefoot dancing on the beach, my dear?"

Reaching out, she wrapped both of her hands around his right. "Andy, this…all of this…the whole night... You've knocked me sideways." Her voice faltered at the end and she felt a new surge of tears threaten to spill as she looked up at him.

"If I could, I would have given you the moon, Sharon."

Tugging gently on his hand, she led him out toward the sand, stopping at the edge of the deck to gesture towards the bright body above them. "You have."

* * *

His hand had rested lightly on her hip and there had been a respectable eight inches of space separating their bodies when he had led her across the dance floor at hIs daughter's wedding, but such formalities were absent in the way they were holding one another now. Her head resting on his shoulder and her right hand on the back of his neck, he curled her left hand against his chest as he encircled her tiny waist with his left arm. "The Way You Look Tonight" had given way to Rosemary Clooney singing "Tenderly," and now, as they gently swayed before the waves, the rich, low voice of Johnny Hartman was covering "I See Your Face Before Me."

_I see your face before me_

_Crowding my every dream_

_There is your face before me_

_You are my only theme_

_It doesn't matter where you are_

_For I can see how fair you are_

_I close my eyes and there you are_

_Always..._

"This is my favorite song."

Sharon lifted her head to find him smiling adoringly down at her.

"I don't think I've heard it before."

"My dad loved this guy, the singer."

She wasn't familiar with the singer, either, although she adored the sound of his voice. "Who is it?"

"Johnny Hartman. My dad took me to hear him at a hotel lounge downtown when I was sixteen and it was so great."

"You're an old soul, Andy. My mom took Toni and me to see The Mama's and the Papa's when I was sixteen."

"Oh, I listened to Elvis and The Four Seasons and the Beach Boys, too, but if you hadn't noticed, I'm kind of a romantic…"

"Mmm…yes, I picked up on that," she whispered with a grin before resting her head back against him.

"I think that's why this song has stayed with me."

She let her fingers climb up into his hair. "It's beautiful."

Andy knew he was no singer but pulling her closer to him and leaning down so that his mouth was even with her ear he began half singing-half speaking the lyrics along with the singer.

…_It doesn't matter where you are_

_For I can see how fair you are_

_I close my eyes and there you are_

_Always_

_If you could share the magic_

_If you could see me too_

_There would be nothing tragic _

_In all my dreams of you_

_Would that my love could haunt you so_

_Knowing I want you so…_

It wasn't a conscious decision, but one born of want and need, and it was also the fact that he had made her feel more desirable and beautiful than any other man in her life ever had that she lifted her face and began kissing him deeply.

His mind was spinning as he allowed himself to become lost in the taste of her mouth and the feel of her tongue against his. The satin finish of her dress allowed his hands to easily slip from her waist and he found himself gripping her bottom as she pressed her body impossibly closer to him, both of her hands in his hair as the kiss became more and more heated. The feel of her pelvic bone against his arousal suddenly brought him to his senses and stumbling backwards, he pulled out of the embrace.

Her chest heaving, she swallowed hard. "Are you alright?" She took a few steps towards him, concerned that he was in some sort of physical distress.

"I can't…" he looked away from her and exhaled deeply.

"What is it, Andy?" she rushed towards him. "Are you having trouble breathing?"

"We can't…" he leaned over, his hands on his knees as he fought to steady his breaths.

"We can't what?"

"Snail speed," he called out as he let himself fall backwards onto the sand.

"Snail…" She sunk to the ground on all fours as she realized that his reaction had nothing to do with his health and everything to do with respecting her wishes. "I'm sorry."

"No, no…" he mirrored her position, quickly crawling towards her. "Don't be sorry. I just didn't want you to think I was trying to take advantage…"

"But _I _kissed _you_."

He took a chance that levity might serve as some sort of salvation for the situation. "I know. What can I say? You can't help it that I am so damn irresistible."

She gave him a small smile, but her mind was conflicted between appreciating the chivalry he had shown and nursing the blow her ego had taken when he had pushed her away.

A few more uncomfortable moments passed before Sharon finally looked up at him and broke the silence by quietly asking, "Have you brought a lot of women here?"

His reflex was to become defensive, but then he considered his reputation and history, both of which he knew she was familiar, and he recognized that it wasn't an unfair question.

"I'm not sure how I can prove it to you, but I promise that you are the only woman, only person that I have ever brought here."

He wasn't lying. She knew all of Andy Flynn's tells and she couldn't detect a single one as he looked her straight in the eye.

"You don't need to prove anything to me, Andy. I believe you."

She was the first to look away, her gaze going to the sand beneath her as she struggled with what to say next, unaware that Andy was studying her intently.

The bright moonlight provided enough illumination that he could make out her features and as she looked back over her shoulder towards the water he was captivated by the way the moonlight made her eyes shine.

"Have you seen very many of those films Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy made together?"

The question was from out of the blue and she wasn't entirely sure she had heard him right.

"Films with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy?"

"Yeah."

She thought for a moment. "I've seen _Guess Who's Coming to Dinner_ several times. It was a favorite of my mother's, and I think I remember one where he's a lawyer and she plays tennis or something?"

Andy made a mental note that some of their activities in the next month would involve providing Sharon with an education of old movies.

"You're thinking of _Adam's Rib_. They're both lawyers in that one, and she is an athlete and he's a sports promoter in _Pat and Mike_, but, that doesn't matter. Did you ever see their very first film, _Woman of the Year_?"

She shook her head, unsure where he was going with this. "If I have I don't remember."

"Well, in it they work together, sort of, I mean they both work for this big New York newspaper as columnists; he writes about sports and she writes about world politics or affairs, anyway, he's smart about sports and she's smart about everything but sports."

She relaxed back against the sand and folded her legs beneath her, enjoying his particular Andy-style of telling a story. "Sounds good."

"It is. Really good."

"Maybe we can watch it together sometime."

He smiled. It was if she had read his mind.

"So, the reason I'm telling you about this movie…"

"Yes?"

He crawled closer to her as he continued. "Well, they…so it starts out that they don't like each other because he hears her criticizing the importance of sports on a radio program and so he takes a poke at her in his column and then she does it back to him and it goes on for a bit until they finally get called into the editor's office so they can make up and he walks in on her fixing her stocking and is instantly attracted, you know, smitten, because she is both beautiful and smart, and so he invites her to a baseball game and she loves it which makes him fall even harder for her and then they go on this date and just sit in a bar and talk and talk and talk and then she invites him back to her place and they're in this cab and when they get back to her apartment building there's this great moment where the cab driver says, "This is it," and Spencer Tracy looks down at Kate Hepburn who is laying against his chest and says, "You're telling me."

Sharon couldn't help but grin at how much Andy obviously loved the film and she wondered if he was aware of the parallels he was drawing between these characters and their own history.

"So, anyway, they go up to her apartment and it is clear that things are heading towards the bedroom, but when she goes into the kitchen to get them something to drink, he leaves without telling her."

"They were going to sleep together before marriage? That's pretty racy for an old movie."

"Right? I think that's why it's one of my favorite movies. It's really sexy and even though it is their first film together, they have this amazing chemistry. It is totally understandable why they fell in love in real life and went on to make all those other films."

"So he leaves just as they are getting hot and heavy..."

"Right, yeah. And so then the next day, he goes to her office and she is focused on whether some refugee scientist guy got out of some hostile country so she's kinda ignoring him, but she does make it clear that he majorly screwed up by ditching her the night before."

"Well, yes…"

"Well, actually, no, and that's my point."

"What do you mean?"

"He tells her she's the only woman in the world he would have left that night."

Much like Katharine Hepburn's character, Sharon didn't understand. "Well...now…what?"

"See, look, it's just like tonight. Even if we hadn't had our little talk in the restaurant about taking things slow, I didn't expect, and honestly, I wouldn't have let anything more than a few kisses happen tonight."

Try as she might, she couldn't make sense of what he was saying. He had told her repeatedly that she was beautiful and even admitted that he hadn't wanted another woman since they gone together to Nicole's wedding, but now he was saying he didn't want anything more from her than a few kisses. What was she missing? Maybe it was as simple as he was truly only attracted to younger women.

"You don't…" She thought she might throw up as she struggled to find the words to go on. "You don't want...that? You don't want…? You only want companionship?"

It was his turn to feel nauseated as it became clear she had taken what he had said completely wrong. "No! No! That's not it at all, Sharon. I do, God, do I want that."

She exhaled deeply and nodded, her relief palpable. "You really do?"

"Yes! Are you kidding? Of course I do!" His voice dropped from it's upper register to a more gentle timbre as he continued. "I want you, all of you, but I also want this to be something…something real. I want this to last. You're…you're so much." Reaching out he took her hands in his, his face as serious as she had ever seen it. "This matters. You and me- this matters."

Speaking became difficult there was so much tension in her throat as she fought not to cray so he barely heard her over the waves when she asked, "So, you don't think I'm too old?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

She looked back over her shoulder at the water, her voice barely audible over the sound of the waves. "You've always dated younger women. I thought maybe you decided you didn't want to be intimate with someone as old as me."

His heart broke to hear her doubt his overwhelming attraction to her.

Lifting her chin so she would look him in the eye, he insisted, "Sharon, I think you are incredibly beautiful and incredibly sexy. _Incredibly_. Please, tell me you believe me."

Unable to speak, she nodded.

"And when we decide we are ready to be intimate," he smiled as he added, "God help me that there is a _when_, but when we do take that step then I will count myself among the luckiest of men."

She didn't say anything as she moved back to her knees and then released his hands so she could rest against his chest. "I'm going to kiss you again, if that's alright?"

His smile growing even wider, he moved to his knees as a sign of permission.

As intense as their previous kiss had been, this one equaled it in its sweetness.

"So, we're okay?" he whispered after she had pulled back.

Sharon nodded, "Oh, I think so."

* * *

Dusting the sand off their legs and backsides, the couple decided to make their way back to the deck where they lay down side by side on the blanket Andy had draped over the double lounger as they took advantage of the absence of city lights to gaze at the stars.

"So who owns this enchanted little cottage?"

"My buddy Roy."

"And how do you know Roy?"

"AA."

The answer didn't surprise her. Andy's life consisted primarily of two groups of acquaintances: police officers and AA members.

"Is he your sponsor? Or should I not ask that?"

Andy reached over and took her hand as he explained, "You are welcome to ask me anything about AA and I will always tell you what I feel is permissible, but no, Roy is not my sponsor and I'm not his, but he is someone I met at a meeting many years ago when he was really struggling, so I reached out, and we've been good friends ever since."

"Do you come out here a lot?"

"Once every couple of months, I guess."

"Do you swim?"

"Not much. If it's particularly hot, sometimes." He pointed out to the north. "There's a dock just beyond that bend and we fish off of it sometimes and he's a big Dodger fan, too, so sometimes we watch a game. Sometimes he just makes a big pitcher of iced tea and we just hang out here and watch the waves roll in."

"Sounds nice."

He gave her hand a squeeze. "It is."

"Is he divorced, too?"

"No, widowed."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, it was a pretty rough deal. Roy was a stockbroker in the eighties and unlike a lot of other people he made a pretty penny in the markets, but then his wife and two kids were killed when the small airplane he was piloting crashed in '92. The FAA ruled that the crash was because of a mechanical failure, but he was the sole survivor and had been behind the controls so he turned to the bottle and drugs to deal with his guilt and grief. Let's just say he had some close calls and after a couple of rehab stints, he finally decided to join my meeting."

The observations Sharon had made earlier in the cottage all made sense after Andy's account of his friend's misfortune. "Poor man."

"Yeah, he's taken some blows, but he's figured out an interesting way to cope."

Hearing his tone change once again, Sharon shifted so she could look up at his face. "How so?"

"He volunteers at a few hospitals in their NICU departments."

"NICU? He volunteers with premature babies?"

Andy nodded. "I won't deny I'm a bit jealous of him. While we spend our days chasing down dirtbags, he gets to spend his rocking and feeding those tiny little babies."

"Aw, how sweet."

"Yeah, well, he's a sweet guy."

Sharon reached over with her free hand and gave his arm a squeeze as she added, "And so are you."

"Eh."

"Yeah, yeah. I know better, tough guy."

They allowed a few minutes of quiet to return before Sharon asked, "And the Mustang? Another buddy?"

"Yeah. That would be Rod."

She chuckled, "Rod? As in hot rod?"

"Nah. Rod as in Roderick."

"And his story?"

"Well, Rod was on a week long bender and decided it would be a good idea to get in his Lamborghini which he proceeded to drive directly into a cement pilon which left him paralyzed from the neck down."

"Oh, my."

"Yeah, so then he got hooked on opiates and after a couple of close calls of his own, his brother started bringing him to our meetings and I guess we just it off."

"You said he's paralyzed from the neck down?"

"Yeah."

She turned on her side, her hands now resting under her cheek as she asked, "Why does he have an amazing car that he can't drive?"

"He actually has eighteen amazing cars he can't drive."

"What?"

Andy turned and mirrored her position. "He was a trust fund kid and has more money than he knows what to do with and he's always loved cars, so he finds ones that need some TLC and works with these fancy schmancy mechanics and body guys to bring them back to life."

"And then he let's his friends borrow them?"

"Mm…well, not really, but he's been listening to me talk about you for a couple of years now and when I told him you had agreed to go out with me on a real date, he insisted you needed to be squired around town in style."

The fact that he had talked about her to someone besides Provenza surprised her. "You've talked about me to your friends?"

"A little bit."

Giving him a sweet smile, she whispered, "Just a little bit?"

"Yeah, well, maybe more than a little."

"And do they know I am the same woman you used to call the Wicked Witch and Darth Raydor?"

As close as their faces were, he wondered if she could feel the heat coming off his cheeks having been called out. "Now, that was a very long time ago, Sharon."

"Yeah…you can still see the remnants of a witch's hat on one of the white boards in the murder room from not _that _long ago, buddy."

"If memory serves, that particular piece of artwork was Provenza's."

"A likely story."

Leaning over he kissed the tip of her nose. "Ancient history, Sharon. Ancient history."

"Hmmmm..." She let him squirm for a few seconds before admitting, "I've always kind of liked Darth Raydor. I even had that," she sang Darth Vader's theme from _Star Wars, "_dum-duh-dah -dum-dah song as my ringtone for a while."

"No way! That's hilarious."

Cocking an eyebrow, she revealed something she was quite certain he had no idea she knew about. "What I would really like is to have Buzz set your, Provenza, Mike, and Julio's phones so that when I call you, you hear Chief Johnson's voice would say 'Oh! That woh-man!"

Andy gasped and then laughed heartily at her spot-on imitation of his former boss. "Holy crap. You sounded just like her."

Employing an enigmatic smile, she whispered, "You should hear me do Lieutentant Provenza. Ye Gods!"

* * *

Andy's Spotify playlist came to an end at a little after one a.m. which prompted him to climb from the lounger and pick up his phone.

"What time is it?"

Standing at the end of the lounger, he enjoyed the view of her stretching her toned legs and arms while releasing an elongated yawn.

"Late. A little after one. I'd happily stay here all night talking, but you're sleepy."

She was immensely enjoying their chat, but her eyelids had been growing heavier over the last hour.

"A little, but we don't have to leave this minute." She glanced over at the table and the paper bag which had piqued her curiosity since he had removed it from his duffle. "Are you ever going to show me what is in the bag?"

"Oh!" Andy lifted his hands with glee. "I almost forgot! You're going to have to get up, though."

She felt a little stiff as she swung her legs over the side of the lounger. "May I take the blanket? It's getting a little chilly."

"Yeah! Of course." He started to offer her his jacket but remembered he had left it in the car. "I need to go down near the water, but you can stay up here by the fire if you want."

The blanket draped around her, she chose to follow him onto the beach, but didn't venture to where he had planted himself just short of where the water reached.

Turning to find her behind him, he called out, "These will probably seem lame compared to Dodger Stadium, but I felt like celebrating."

Sharon watched him remove a series of long tubes from the paper bag before retrieving something small from his pants pocket.

"What are you doing?"

"Just watch the sky."

Lowering herself to the ground, she leaned her head back just as a shooting star crossed her field of vision. The analytical side of her was sure it was just a meteor, but the woman who had been so beautifully wooed by the handsome man on the shore decided to make a wish.

_Please let this work._

Trying to pick out the constellations her father had shown her when she was eight, she was startled by the sound of a pop and then gasped as there was a sudden burst of red, and then blue, followed by gold and finally green as Andy set off a series of Roman candles along the shore.

The last candle lit, he ran as quickly as he could and knelt beside her as the last seven fireworks blazed in the sky.

Not uttering a word, Sharon moved to her knees and wrapped her arm around Andy's back, her head against his shoulder as they watched the final embers fade to nothing.

* * *

Doing their best to dislodge every speck of sand from their persons after cleaning up the firework debris and packing the blanket and speaker back into the duffel, Andy and Sharon each made another bathroom trip before returning to the Mustang.

Leaving the top up, Andy quickly turned on the heater and found a soothing classical station on the radio which, as he expected, lulled Sharon to sleep before they even made it to the freeway.

"We're here." Andy's pulled into a visitor spot in the garage and when his gentle words had no effect, he tenderly lifted Sharon's hand and kissed her knuckles. "We're here, Sharon."

"Ohh," she lifted her shoulders and did a little stretch as her eyes fluttered open and she noticed their surroundings. "You parked in the garage."

"Yeah, well, my buddy Hector is probably off-duty and I don't trust anyone else to watch the car while I walk you to your door."

"You don't need to…."

Scowling he interrupted, "The wooing won't be complete unless I see you safely home."

Knowing any further argument on her part would be moot, she just nodded and waited patiently as he made his way around the car to open her door.

"You have everything?"

Opening her clutch, she made a visual inventory of her phone, keys, scarf, and wallet. "I think so. I just need to grab my shoes."

Holding her sandals by their straps, she tucked the clutch under her arm to free one of her hands, so Andy could help her out.

The elevator ride was far too brief in Andy's opinion given how much he was enjoying a sleepy Sharon leaning back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Well, home-again-home-again-jiggity-jig," Sharon whispered as the elevator doors open.

Making their way towards number 1109, she asked, "You want to come in for a cup offfahhhh…" couldn't finish the offer as a yawn escaped her throat.

"Thanks, but no. I still have bit of a drive, and you, my dear, are clearly very sleepy."

Her key inserted in the lock, she turned and rested against the cool surface of her door as she reached out and ran her fingertips over the center of his shirt. "Thank you is far too inadequate an expression to tell you how much I appreciate how very wonderful tonight was. I can't imagine anyone has _ever_ had a better first date than we have."

"Just the first of many."

She leaned up and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. "So, Friday?"

He wrapped his arms around her back, gently swaying her back and forth as she grinned up at him. "Oh, yes. If you're willing to come to mine, I'll cook, and we can start your education."

"My education?" She gave him a scandalized look.

"Mind out of the gutter, Raydor. I'm talking about your film education. We can start with _Woman of the Year_, and time permitting, follow it with _Adam's Rib_ for a true double feature."

"I very much look forward to it."

Remembering he had another forty minutes of driving ahead of him, he reluctantly halted his swaying, but didn't let her go as he asked, "So, how do we do this?"

Her eyebrows lifted in question. "Do what? Dating?"

"What do we do about the others? You know, Rusty and the team…oh, God, and Taylor."

Her focus on the chest hair at his open collar, she tapped a light rhythm on his chest before noting, "Rusty and Provenza already know, right?"

"Right, but Provenza isn't exactly our biggest cheerleader."

Sharon scrunched her nose before shrugging. "At least he tolerates me now."

"Mmmm…mostly," he teased.

"I think he'll come around, especially if Patrice is on our side, and you know, I've been meaning to ask her to lunch."

"Clever. See, that's why you're the boss."

"Careful, Lieutenant. Someone might accuse you of buttering up the boss."

Andy bit his tongue, mentally tucking away the imaging that her comment had inspired before asking, "What about Rusty?"

"Well, I think he'll get there but it might take some time. I was informed that if we kiss or touch one another in front him, or call each other, what names did he say? Oh! Babe or sweetie, he will barf."

Andy shook his head with amusement. "How does one go about reversing an adoption?"

"Ha ha." She studied his face for a moment before asking, "Are you really worried about the others?"

"Nah. Not really. They're a good bunch, but…ugh, Taylor."

Sharon quickly reminded him, "We're not breaking any rules."

"Yeah, but he's known us both for a long time."

"True. He'll probably be more shocked than anything." She tried to reassure him with a sweet smile. "Let's just keep this between us for a while, huh? Cross those bridges when we have to."

Andy was bit skeptical of her plan. "You think the grouch will be able to stay quiet about it?"

She inhaled, her gaze going over his shoulder as she considered their options. "We don't have to tell Lieutenant Provenza how tonight went. Might be fun to watch him wonder for a bit."

"What do you mean?"

"As long as we keep things strictly professional in the office…you know, Captain this and Lieutenant that, well, he won't have a clue how perfect tonight was."

"It was perfect, huh?"

Sharon shifted her hips while giving him a brilliant smile. "Well, outside of the donut, of course."

"Of course."

She would have been content to stay in his arms for the rest of the night but couldn't deny the fact that it was getting awfully late. "You need to go."

He sighed and nodded, pulling her to him for one last embrace.

"Will you text me to let me know you made it home okay?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Please be safe. You're sure you don't want me to make you coffee for the ride?"

He recognized that she had entered "mom mode." "Thanks, but I'll be fine. I'll send you a text when I pull into my drive." Giving her hand a last squeeze, he reluctantly backed away from her. "See you Monday morning."

"Okay. Thank you again- for everything."

"It was so very much _my_ pleasure, Sharon."

Turning around, he had just pressed the elevator button when he heard the tale-tell sound of her flip flops hurrying towards him. "Don't text when you get home. Call, okay? I'll wait up."

His pulse quickened at the sight of her smile from only a foot away. "I'll call."

They stood staring at each other for a few seconds before she suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down for one last kiss.

The sound of the elevator door opening interrupting them, Andy released a light growl as he rested his forehead against hers. "Snail speed, huh?"

Her hand on his chest, she closed her eyes and sighed, "Snail speed."

* * *

_Thank you so much to everyone who read, and especially to those who took the time to drop me a little note of encouragement. I enjoyed spending this time with these sweethearts so very much-_

_XOXO- Jenny_


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